The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Painting a 59' Apache

Hellow Fellow Bolters,
I am slowy restoring my truck and I would like to know the first step to a good prep job before I strip and paint my cab/fenders and hood. Thanks.

I took my truck completely apart and painted each piece separately. everything was stripped to bare metal by using liquid stripper and elbow grease. It is a lot of work, but worth it to me. If you can find a good sandblaster that won't charge you a college tuition, that might be a good way to go.

The first step is a good washing with HOT soapy water with a degreaser. Wax or grease can be sanded or blasted right into the metal.

thanks fellas, Ill look into both!

Keep all silicone substances away from your body work. Clean your shop, clean your tools. Wash hands before body work. Make sure you don't have an oiler on your compressor and drain the air compressor tank of collected moisture regularily. If you are painting a fender or door, clean the underside or inside of the door out too.

I used to work on Harley-Davidson's for years and did a lot of painting too. I hated to see the bargain painters jobs come back for me to install them back on the customers bikes. I remember paint jobs comming back with the dirt on the underside of the fenders and tanks that they left the shop with, and the edges of the fenders unpainted.

I took the time to paint my own bike in the garage and when one of those customers came in while I was assembling it he asked who did it for me. When I told him that I did it and to take a look under the fender to see that the edges were painted and see that I took the time to paint the underside also, He wanted to pay me to repaint his two week paint job over again. I had to say no and told him if I did that he would pay dearly for it.

That is why some guys are so expensive too. They pay attention to details.

Thanks for the tips Builder.